"It's the worst embarrassment in the name of horizontal meat
matter since Anthony Weiner discovered Twitter," Cuozzo wrote,"
referring to the US representative from New York who infamously
sexted a woman he met on Twitter.

He said the "congealed" hot dog can't compare to those from New
York City classics like Nathan's.

The classic grilled dog and the chili-cheese dog launched at
Burger King locations across the US on February 23.

"We want this to be the Whopper of hot dogs," Alex Macedo, Burger
King's North America president, said at a launch event last
month. "We know the Whopper is America's favorite burger — we
want this to be America's favorite hot dog."

The company tested the hot dog in five cities last year.
According to Macedo, the company beat its targets in each city.
Orders that included a hot dog resulted in larger average checks
than orders without the new dish.

"We're not seeing grilled dogs as a product launch," Macedo said.
"We're tapping into a whole new category."

Here's why, based on a recent
tasting, the hot dogs might fall short.

Kate Taylor

The classic grilled dog fulfills
Burger King's goal of creating what Macedo calls "a hot dog that
tastes like a backyard barbecue." Grilling was a great choice on
Burger King's part. The hot dog has a nice smokiness that
wouldn't be out of place at a family barbecue.

The classic is topped with
ketchup, mustard, chopped onions, and relish. The onions and
relish cut through the smokiness of the hot dog very
nicely.

At $1.99, it's a quality frank
that, should I be craving a hot dog, I would purchase
again.

Kate Taylor

The chili-cheese grilled dog is
less of a delight. Don't get me wrong — the hot dog once again
captures the smokiness well, and the chili adds a nice touch of
sweetness. But without the relish and the mustard it feels as if
I'm basically inhaling grease.

The dish is the same beef dog as
the classic, topped with warm chili and shredded cheddar cheese,
and it costs $2.29.

Kate Taylor

While I enjoyed both options and
believe other hot-dog lovers lacking in fast-food options will as
well, I had one major issue with the dishes.

At risk of sounding like a
glutton, one hot dog is simply not enough to fill me up. It makes
sense that the check size is bigger for customers who order a
grilled hot dog: They need at least one side to feel satisfied
after a hot dog you can demolish in under eight bites.

AP Images

Burger King seems to have realized that this could be an issue.
Macedo said the company considered including two hot dogs in the
combo deal, which pairs the dog with fries and a small fountain
drink.

Burger King and I agree, however,
that two hot dogs is too much. With the classic clocking in at
310 calories and the chili cheese at 330 calories, two hot dogs
is not the solution.

Plus, eating both would add up to
14 grams of saturated fat — more than the American Heart
Association'sdaily
limit.

If Burger King can persuade
customers to add a hot dog to their orders, the company could
have a winner on its hands. But making the new item the next
Whopper will not be as simple as swapping burgers for hot
dogs.